My Sleeve Story...

Okay, so time for my long-winded surgical tale...

Monday came and I was VERY thirsty... I wasn't allowed to drink. I was to arrive at hospital at 12, and so sometime afterwards have my surgery. I had all my things packed, and Mum came and got my daughter and myself, and our luggage, and off to hospital we went. Mum was intending to wait with me, but I know my daughter and KNEW she would whinge and complain and just be a general pain in the bum if she was forced to wait... so I sent them home. I'd rather just wait by myself, without being nagged at, without everyone else being bored, and read my book on my own, in peace.

Well, I waited in the first waiting room for all of about 10 minutes, before being called over to pay (the gap fee of my PHI of $400, plus $75 for my 3-night-stay... this covers internet/Foxtel while you're in there and you have to pay it regardless). I was then taken into another waiting room. Then another. Then, not too long of a wait afterwards, taken into a little curtained-off room with a bed and TV where I dressed in my beautiful (lol) gown and paper undies... put on some compression stockings (more like knee-length socks) and some little paper booties. I just waited. And waited. Watched Grey's Anatomy on TV... it was an episode about a killer running through the hospital wanting to shoot surgeons... or McDreamy more specifically. Later, I watched Oprah... where Jennifer Hudson talked about her weight loss of 80lbs. I found it amusing that the only 2 things I watched on TV were about hospitals and weight loss... 2 things that were relevant to my situation at the time.

Eventually, I was taken to the anesthetist room thingy. I dunno what they call it. The room before the theatre. My anesthetist was friendly and joking when I had met him earlier in the room where I watched TV... but now seemed irritated. Apparently the people using the theatre before us had taken too long... he had probably been waiting for a while, unpaid, and was frustrated as a result. Regardless, he was still nice... just not as friendly as earlier. He had difficulty getting a vein, something that always happens with me. When I asked why it was that some veins were difficult to find he mouthed, "fat." He then said, "Oh... I'm not saying you're fat..." and I responded with, "Dude, I'm about to go into surgery BECAUSE I'm fat, so it's okay..." lol.

Well, I waited in there for a while, drip in my arm, and I was wheeled into theatre at about 2.30pm. Underneath me I had a weird blow-up thing. It was kind of like a blow-up mattress... they blew it up with me on it, which was a very strange feeling, then pulled me to the table and deflated it. I really can't remember drifting off. I remember the anesthetist saying something about how he should probably give me something... but that's about it. I guess I drifted off about then.

I awoke in recovery in intense pain. I couldn't open my eyes (like when you're so tired you cannot keep them open) so flicked them open occasionally just to get a sense for where I was. I writhed in pain. I rolled around moaning. I'm not one to draw attention to myself IRL (believe it or not) and so rolling around moaning (loudly) in pain must have meant I was in quite a bit of pain. I was given something (I heard them saying they were going to give me something) and it calmed down a little... and I vomited on myself. I think I peed myself a little as well. Lovely eh? lol. I still had my eyes closed but felt them changing me... cutting my paper undies off, and re-dressing me in a gown. I was asked to next time aim for a spew bag... and I HAD... I just obviously sucked at it. There was no next time anyway.

The pain soon started up again though, and it was dreadful... rolling around moaning once more. I was asked to be quiet, and while I heard their requests I didn't care one bit what they said... it wasn't exactly a voluntary thing, but something I was doing without thought. I was then given another drug... something I was later told was a street drug (though I imagine the street versions are less clean) called ketamine. Google has since told me it's called "Special K," when it's not used medicinally. Anyway, it made me hallucinate. It was WEIRD. You know weird art films where it's just random clips of STUFF? Well, that's what I saw. It felt like I was watching some weird art film. There were also swirls and stuff... seriously. Kind of like the video Mugatu shows Zoolander to brainwash him... it was like that really. Every now and again I'd flick back to reality for a second or two... and then back to weird visions. I have no idea why anyone would voluntarily take a drug that does that, I didn't find the experience pleasant at all... interesting, but not enjoyable. It did seem to help with pain though.

I was about to be wheeled to the ward, when my blood pressure was checked and considered high. My anesthetist was called and the doctors were instructed to give me some sort of medication to lower my BP. It had to be under 160 (the top number). After about 3 shots, my BP was approx 126/85 which is REALLY low for me. As I've mentioned here before, I've been as high as 200/120. Anyway, I was moved back to my room about 8pm.

I was kind of out of it, but my mother and my daughter were there waiting for me in my room and I tried to make small conversation. My daughter was acting really weird... she was smiling at me a lot, but I think she was a little concerned and didn't know what to react. I had oxygen tubes up pointing up my nose and a drip in my hand... and was generally just kind of drowsy so I'm sure she was a little scared/worried. I tried to let her know that I was fine, and she kept telling me she loved me and missed me. She brought me flowers too - darling little thing, and a picture she'd drawn for me. She is so beautiful.

That first night, I did not sleep. I couldn't. Not that I could have anyway - I got my BP, blood oxygen levels and temperature taken hourly. I also had to buzz the nurses to help me go to the toilet, because my drip was always plugged into the wall. The stupid thing had a faulty battery though, so it wouldn't last a trip to the toilet unplugged, and an alarm would go off (this was remedied overnight on the 3rd night).

That next morning, I had a visit from Dr Greenslade and he told me that while I'd be brought jelly and similar, I shouldn't have any of it, and instead just focus on water until the next day. I spend much of this day trying to sleep, but it was hard as I could only lay on my back and both my back and my bum were getting really uncomfortable. I was in a little bit of pain, and still had the PCA (a button I could press for pain-relief) and a drip in to give me fluids.

That night was much the same - no sleep. I tried... but it wasn't really successful.

The following day was pretty much the same, but I did have some sustagen (about a sip or two) and some apple juice, as well as water. Again, nothing particularly special happened this day, though I did sleep a lot (though not heavily) for short bursts of an hour or so. I woke up sweating, which wasn't exactly fun.

My 3rd day was thursday, and that's when I went home. I recieved another visit from Dr Greenslade that morning, who told me that I'd been sleeping the day before when he visited and he couldn't bare to wake me. He said I would be fine to go home that day... so a little after midday, I left and went home.

Right now it's a week since I had my surgery, and I am able to eat a little more, and move more freely. The pain is still there though - but mostly, I am bothered by itching wounds. They're healing, and so quite itchy. Here they are a few days ago...

I had 5 wounds, no tubes. A little bit of oozing apparently (you can probably see the evidence of that the most on the wound near my belly button).

Yesterday, I managed to eat the most I've eaten since I've had my operation... about 1/3 small jar of baby food, 1/2 an Up&Go and about 1 tsp scrambled egg. It's seriously minimal, but I am drinking a lot (as much as I can) during the day as well. I'm not really on any pain killers either, though I sometimes take something before bed (though as it's either crushed or dissolved, it tastes like crap so I like to avoid it... lol).

Today, I'm also 98.9kg. Under 100! Woohoo! I decided to take some photos to see if there is any difference between today and upon starting Opti-fast...

I think there may be a SLIGHT difference. I also have no bra on in the photos taken today, so that probably doesn't help. Maybe my middle is a tiny bit smaller... not much though. Still, I want to take photos weekly if I remember just to track any progress. This will be a big journey for me so I might as well document it properly.